The Paper Trail
by OriginallyYourFan
Summary: Dean and Lucy met and got married in Las Vegas. She is devastated, he is not. Will Dean be able to make his wife realize that being married to him is not nearly as bad as it seems. Read and Review please
1. Chapter 1

(**I only own Lucy, I wish I was able to make as much as some of these guys do because of where they work)**

Lucy was mesmerized by the lights of Las Vegas. Though she was here for a conference the other girls in her office drug her out to go drinking and have fun outside the office. Lucy wasn't comfortable with her surroundings so she was drinking just about everything that was put in front of her. Lucy stood up suddenly, "I've got to go to the bathroom," after insisting she was fine she went ahead and began to push her way through the crowd. After Lucy used the bathroom and she began to make her way back to her friends when her foot got caught and she started to fall. Before the crash however two big arms wrapped around her and pulled her to his chest. Smiling, she said, "Hi, I'm Lucy." Dean looked down at the woman he was holding against his chest, "Are you okay?" As she nodded Dean slowly looked down over her; she had dark brown hair, an infectious smile, green eyes, and a killer body. He also noticed that she was very clearly drunk. Over the course of the night Dean and Lucy were inseparable. She sat on his lap, whispered things in his ear that made him positively glow and they both got even drunker. At the end of the night, Dean and Lucy climbed into the back of the cab and couldn't keep their hands off each other. As they stopped at a red light and Dean had his hand sliding up her stomach under her shirt Lucy grabbed his hand and stopped him, "Dean, wait, wait. I want to wait until I'm married. I promised. I can't break this promise." When he showed some reluctance to the idea Lucy wrapped her arms around him and kissed him until they were both breathless. Dean immediately had the driver change directions and head to the nearest wedding chapel. Dean and Lucy a half hour later drunkenly had their first kissed as man and wife.

The next morning Lucy woke up with a pounding headache. She had never drunk that much before in her life. She placed her left hand on her head and froze. Slowly, she raised the hand in front of her face and she screamed; there was a wedding ring where none had been before she went out! Panicking she raced out of bed and over to the dresser trying to see if there was any clues as to what happened the night before. She found her keys, her wallet, and then underneath all of that was her marriage license. "Dean Ambrose. Who the hell did I marry?" As she mused aloud she also saw the note that lie on the dresser next to her things.

_Lucy,_

_I had an early flight this morning so I had to go. You looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you when I left I tried not to wake you, apparently I succeeded. Try to have a good day at the conference. Please feel free to call me if you need anything. I put my number in your phone before I left. You're one hell of a girl Lucy; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I'll see you soon. _

_Dean._

Lucy's legs slowly went weak as she collapsed onto the bed, how was she going to explain this to her coworkers? Her mind raced over the events of the night before, she remembered going to the bathroom, tripping, and meeting Dean. After that everything went fuzzy. It's not that she blacked out but she just needed someone to fill in some of the blanks.

The only person who could was on a plane thinking about the night before as well; except he had a much clearer memory and a much happier recollection about the events of the night before. He thought back to Lucy and all the things she told him the night before. No one had ever made him feel like that before. Sure they didn't know each other that well but that's not to say that they couldn't get to know each other as they started their life together. Lucy was unlike anyone he had ever met, and he couldn't wait to see her again.

(3 weeks later)

Dean was in the worst mood of his life. It was bad enough that Lucy wouldn't return his calls, now today he got served with a copy of divorce papers. He wasn't going to sign them. Dean knew he was being unreasonable but damn it he wasn't ready to give up. He was the most stubborn person a lot of his friends had ever met, or at least that's what his friends told him. He was determined not to fail at a marriage that was not even given a chance. He was determined not to fail at this unlike everything else he did, he was determined to prove his family wrong.

(4 months later)

Dean listened as two of his best friends discussed the pros and cons of going out again tonight. Dean wrapped his wrists but refrained from entering into the conversation. He knew she'd come tonight. She had called asking him to sign the papers she was bringing but no matter how much she asked Dean was going to play his card he had to if he had any shot at making this work. Lucy would probably cry and Dean couldn't stand it when women cried, he never knew what to do. He knew that all she wanted was a divorce but he liked her and besides when was the last time Dean Ambrose was accommodating to anyone? He did things his own way on his own time and there was little that anyone else could do to motivate him. A knock on the door caused Roman and Seth to jerk up surprised. A stage hand opened the door saying "Mr. Ambrose? There's someone here to see you. Would you like me to bring her back?" "No I'll go get her. She'll probably yell at you like all the others." Seth's confusion showed on his face as he listened to the conversation around him. "Umm Dean who's coming to see you?" Dean got up and waved his friends off, "Guys, I can't keep my lovely wife waiting." Dean left knowing his friends were dumbstruck.

"Yes Jake, I understand. I'm going to have the matter taken care of tonight. I'm hoping he won't continue to be unreasonable. Well as soon as I talk to him I'll let you know the status. Yes, I understand how this makes you look, I mean think about how I feel in this whole situation. I'm sorry Jake. Yes, I know this is hard on you. Can you talk to Sandra for me? She's really sweet but I just don't know how long this is going to take to get resolved. Hopefully he will see reason." Lucy tapped her foot and stared at her watch, how long would it take that insufferable man to get here? Then she heard it, "Ahh if it isn't my darling wife. What brings you here sweetheart?" The mocking tone wasn't lost on her; "Sign the papers Dean and quit with the games. Having these papers drawn up is getting expensive." Dean placed a hand in his chest, "Lucy you wound me! How could you want a divorce; why are you giving up on what we have?" Rolling her eyes Lucy dug the papers out of her bag, "stop playing around Ambrose. We haven't seen each other since the wedding night which I sure as hell can't remember. I want to get on with my life and you're keeping that from happening. Just sign the damn papers and we'll never have to see each other again." Dean smirked, "you know, I've been doing some research and unless I've beaten, become an alcoholic, or abandoned you, in the state of Washington we have to be living together for a year before these papers can be processed." Lucy's eyes grew icy, "You think I don't know that? That's part of the reason I keep hoping that you'll have some shred of dignity and just sign the papers. Look, it's ridiculous to think there's more to us, and more to our relationship than one drunken night." Dean opened his mouth to respond when a stagehand interrupted, "Mr. Ambrose 15 minutes until you're on sir." Dean nodded at the stagehand then turned to Lucy and smiled, "well honey I need to go but I would love to continue this discussion after my match." Lucy met Dean's mocking gaze with steely one of her own. Handing him her card she said, "Call me when you're done." Dean watched as she walked away; he wondered if she remembered their night together, he'd sure as hell never forget it.

Lucy banged her head against her steering wheel then instantly regretted it when it began throbbing. Why did he have to act like this? Why couldn't he sign the papers? Then he'd be free to see whomever he wanted, sleep with whomever he wanted. Then they could both move on with their lives. Lucy knew she was ready to move on, sure she didn't have much of a life outside work but she was on a fast track with her career. She knew that in a few years she'd be able to afford to go to law school and then she could finally achieve her dream. However, when she was spending all this money on having papers drawn up a few times a year, it became even harder to save the money she needed for classes. Lost in thought she didn't realize how long she'd been sitting in her car until she looked out and saw Dean knocking on her window. Rolling down the window she asked him what he wanted. "Well darling, I was going to ask if you wanted to go ahead and give me a lift so we can go dinner and talk?" Moving her head she unlocked the door motioning for Dean to come around to the passenger side.

As Dean gave her directions to a small cafe, he looked over noticing how tired she looked. He remembered how she looked so much different the last time he saw her, so much more carefree, granted the last time she was completely hammered. She was still incredibly beautiful she just now looked like was under so much more strain. After they entered the cafe and ordered, Dean broke the silence, "I have a proposition for you my dear, if you travel with me for one year and after that year if you still want a divorce I will sign the papers and pay all fees." Lucy nearly dropped her coffee, "are you insane? I can't take that much time off work and besides I don't want to be around that long." Dean crossed his arms, "well that's my offer; you can take it or leave it." Lucy considered her options, she could probably get them to agree to let her work on the road, but she didn't want to be around for that long. "Dean, I can only get at most 2 months off work." Shaking his head, Dean looked grim, "8 months and I'll get you your own room once a week." Lucy crossed her arms before responding, "6 months, and we have separate hotel rooms." Dean grinned holding out his hands, "I believe my darling wife we have a deal".


	2. Chapter 2

The next day as Lucy got dressed she realized she knew very little about this man she agreed to travel with for the next 6 months. She had a name and a phone number to go off of but that's really about it. As she finished straightening her hair she heard a knock on the door and she instantly recognized the voice that was on the other side, "Come on Lucy, we've got to get to the airport." "Dean hold on, I'll be ready in 5 minutes." He continued to bang on the door until she wrenched it open; instantly regretting it. Standing at her door, along with her husband, was two men, both of whom were seemed interested in the woman who married Dean after knowing him for only a few hours. She quickly disappeared back into the bathroom and finished brushing her teeth.

Dean turned to his friends saying, "Guys that's Lucy." He saw the amusement in their eyes at the scene that was in front of them. Dean shook his head and followed Lucy into the room, "Lucy, I wanted you to meet Roman and Seth before we head out." Lucy nodded and waved absentmindedly as she quickly got her stuff together. After 10 minutes Dean was interrupted by Lucy telling him she was finally ready to leave. "Okay, Lucy, the one with the two-toned hair is my buddy Seth, and the guy with the tattoos all down his arm is Roman." Lucy nodded and murmured greetings to each of the guys as they were introduced to her. "Dean, when we get to Seattle I need to do a few things to make sure that we can enact the arrangement from last night." Dean raised his head at her words, "I'll go with you just to make sure that everything goes according to plan." Turning to his friends, Dean tried to clear up the confusion he saw on their faces, "Guys, Lucy will be traveling with us for the next 6 months. And make no mistake, Lucy, you will be traveling with us for 6 months, or you'll have to keep trying to get a contested divorce." Lucy looked into Dean's eyes and saw just how serious he was; she instantly regretted the deal she made with him last night.

All through the plane ride to Seattle, Lucy was on edge. It's not that she hated flying; no it had everything to do with the man who was sitting two rows up. She seethed as she replayed everything in her mind again. She couldn't believe that he was actually going to go with her like she was an infant. Like she would lie about what her boss said. Lucy knew she could get the time off, after all everything she did was done online and if she absolutely had to she could call the people she needed to in order to get the answers she needed. But for him to act like that was, in her mind, unacceptable. Lying back she endeavored to clear her mind and enjoy the rest of the flight.

Dean looked for the third time in Lucy's direction. He wanted so badly to go sit by her but he really wasn't sure it would be welcome. "Dude, what's the deal with Lucy? It's like she came out of nowhere." Dean turned and looked at Roman, "Not really. I had a feeling she would come to Phoenix, after all she's been trying to get me to sign these papers almost since we got married." Seth chimed in, "I don't know why you won't just sign the papers and give her what she wants, it's clear that she doesn't want to be married to you." Dean shrugged trying to play it off, "You guys weren't there the night we got married, I mean let's be honest I don't remember much of it, but I just know that there's something I am missing about what happened that night, and I want to understand what it is before I sign the papers." Seth shrugged, he ultimately knew that Dean was a big boy who could take care of himself, if he wanted to stay married to someone who didn't want to be married to him then who was he to try and stop him. Roman on the other hand knew there was more to it than Dean was saying, he was hedging, something he never did, but more than that, he knew that Dean remembered more than he was saying about that night in Vegas, he'd get it out of him eventually, but Roman also knew that Dean was the type to play it close to the chest so it wouldn't be easy to get it out of him.

Once they arrived in Seattle Lucy quickly grabbed her bags and headed outside to hail a cab. "Lucy let's go. We're burning daylight." Lucy spun around and ran over to her to the waiting vehicle. "Jake! I'm so glad you're here. Gosh I have so much to tell you. I have to talk to Sandra about getting the next 6 months off so I can travel with him. It was the best deal I could get; I mean everything else just wasn't going to work. He wanted me to be on the road with him for a year." Jake quickly pulled her into his chest, "There, There, Lucy. You're here now. I spoke to Sandra and she understands that you need me to make things right again. You never were that good at negotiating but I am, and I will take care of everything so you don't have to worry about it."

Dean looked around the baggage area for Lucy unable to find her. He looked over by Roman and Seth to see if she had joined them by the counter. It wasn't until he went outside that he saw her wrapped in the arms of another man. Walking over he cleared his throat causing Lucy to look over at him. She, Dean noted somewhat reluctantly, unwrapped herself from around him and nervously introduced the two men. "Um, Dean, this is Jake. Jake, this is Dean." Dean wrapped his arm around her shoulder and stuck his hand out to shake Jake's. "Can you believe how lucky I am to have gotten to marry her? How do you two know each other?" Jake looked disgusted by Dean, "Yes well, we're hoping to get that issue resolved very quickly so I can get on with my life." Dean arched an eyebrow, "And how do you know each other, you forgot that part of the question." Jake smiled tightly, "Oh yes, we work together at a law office downtown. Lucy takes a lot of cases of people who can't pay. I try to get her to stop doing that; I mean honestly how is she ever going to move up in the company?" Lucy felt Dean slowly getting even tenser as the conversation went on, "Well come on guys we better go, I'm going to ride with Jake, you know that way we can talk shop. You can…" She was cut off by Jake, "You can drive yourself. I'm sure you know where the office is. Like Lucy said, we've got to talk shop and that information is confidential." Dean nodded tightly at Jake; he really didn't like this man, who the hell was he to tell him what to do and not give Lucy a chance to make any of her own decisions. He watched as Jake and Lucy sped off as he and the luggage waited for his own vehicle to be brought around by the valet.

Once Lucy was in the car with Jake he immediately began to take control of the situation. "Lucy, you don't have to do this. I knew I should have gone with you, I knew you couldn't handle this on your own. How on Earth did you ever think that this agreement with him would work? Oh that's right Lucy you don't think. Do you know how this is making me look? Do you even care? God, sometimes you're so dumb." Lucy began to slowly feel her anger rise towards Jake, but she knew he was right; she wasn't as good of a negotiator and if he had gone Dean probably would have signed the papers. She quietly responded, "Jake, I appreciate that you're being so patient with me, and I know that you have a reputation to uphold and I know that as soon as you get married you're going to be elevated to the next level in your career but I'm not going to marry you just because you want it. It will be something that we both talk about at the right time. There's got to be something in it for me." The rest of the ride to the office was silent but there was a certain tension between Jake and Lucy that could not be missed. Once they had both gotten out of the car and had entered the elevator that would take them to their offices Jake a different tactic, "Look Lucy, it's just that I don't want this guy to be able to suck you up in his world. I've looked into their travel schedule, they work about 300 days a year and are basically living out of hotels. You'd never really be able to settle down and have a family, at least not the kind of family that you want. I just don't want to see you get hurt." Lucy gave Jake a hug just before the elevator doors opened, "I know, it's just…I need to handle this in my own way." Nodding Jake followed her to his office, he was shocked to see Dean already there, sitting in his chair, his feet on the desk, like he owned the place.  
Dean watched as Lucy and Jake entered into the office; Jake was definitely rattled to see him already there, good he didn't like the little prick and wanted to keep him off balance as much as possible. Grinning, Dean arched a brow, "You guys got everything figured out? I mean, I do want to get back on the road, I've got tonight off and I wanted to go out to dinner with Lucy before we head back to the hotel." Dean saw the look of surprise momentarily cross Lucy's face, but that was quickly masked once Sandra's secretary came in. "Lucy, she's ready for you." Hesitating briefly, Lucy headed into her boss's office leaving Dean and Jake without a buffer.

Dean watched as Lucy hesitated before leaving the room, "Don't worry he'll still be here when you get back." Once she shut the door, Dean rested his arms on his thighs and immediately turned his gaze to Jake. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing here. Acting like her friend when really all you want is to use her. How long did you wait before you made this entire thing about you? Did you even make it out of the airport parking lot? I've known guys like you my whole life, you think you own the entire fucking world, well guess what pal, you don't own Lucy, and as long as she's my wife and she will be for a long time, you will stay away from us. I don't like you, and she doesn't realize yet how much of a jackass. I guarantee that once she does, she won't want a damn thing to do with you. Jake began to smirk, "You think someone like you scares me? You can't tell me what to do. Do you know who I am? I am Jacob McAlister IV, the heir to one of the biggest fortunes of the state. Once Lucy and I get married, her father is going to make me partner in his firm and do you know what that's going to do for me? I am going to run for public office one day, with Lucy's record of public service and my family fortune; I can win any seat I want. So do us all a favor Dean, sign the papers, give Lucy to me, and we all move on. I mean if its money you're after, name your price I'll give you half now and half when the divorce papers are signed by the judge." Dean began to vibrate with rage, "You think I want money? I don't want a damn thing from you except a guarantee that you'll stay away from me and my wife."

Before Jake got a chance to respond Lucy came back in the room. Dean quickly stood up and after receiving assurances that everything was set for her to work while on the road with Dean he grabbed her hand and quickly drug her down to his car. "Oww! What's wrong with you? If you don't stop I'm going to break an ankle. STOP DRAGGING ME!" It was only once she yelled that Dean slowed down, but he still didn't say anything. In fact it wasn't until they were back on the highway that he said a word. "How did your meeting with your boss go? I know that those can be nerve wracking." Lucy gave a slight smile, in an effort to get to know as much as she could about Dean she got some background on the WWE and immediately thought of having to go into a meeting with anyone in the McMahon family. "Sandra's a lot nicer than your bosses. She said that as long as I keep up with my workload and am available for conference calls with clients she doesn't think it will be a problem. She did say however that if I fell behind I'd either need to resign or come back into the office." Dean nodding in understanding, "Hey can I ask you something? You don't seem as bitter towards me about this entire situation as I thought you'd be. I mean don't get me wrong I don't mind that you're not being hateful but at the same time, I just figured you'd be more confrontational." Lucy considered the situation briefly, "I'm determined to make the best of a bad situation. I'm not the kind of person to hold grudges; I don't think that you should be hateful towards people just because you're not getting your way, I'm not the kind of person who lets you know what I'm feeling. I don't think anyone outside my parents have seen me actually angry in years. It also takes a long time for someone to recognize the signs that I'm getting that way. Besides, you're footing the bill for me to travel all over the country. What do I have to be angry about?" Dean felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, "So all of this smiling has been an act? You're actually furious with me." She shrugged, "Right now, I'm not happy that you're dragging me from my entire life to come on the road with you, but if that's what it takes so I can move on with my life then so be it. Besides, we're going to be traveling for the next 6 months together, why would I want to be at your throat the entire time? If you really want to know how I'm feeling, ask me in about a week. That should give me enough time to adjust to my new lifestyle and then I'll be able to tell you if I'm still mad." As Dean raced towards the Seattle skyline he began to wonder if he wasn't in over his head.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hey Guys! Sorry it took me so long to update but life has been really crazy! I promise I'll try to do better. I would love reviews so far I've gotten one and it literally made my day, more like my week. I need some help from you guys as to where you want to see this go? Do you like Jake? Should I even keep going? Any and all comments are appreciated!**

A week later Dean was as confused as he was before; it seemed that Lucy was not outwardly upset about anything, but he still did not seem like he was making any progress with their relationship. Sure, she talked and seemed to get along with the people he worked with, but she never really had any one on one time with him and when they had time together it was short-lived and awkward. They were always surrounded by people. However, this he was determined to rectify as quickly as possible. Tonight they were heading home, to his house that is, in Las Vegas. He stood in the parking lot patiently waiting as she hugged Nikki and Brie one more time. "Nikki, keep me updated on what happens when you finally talk to John. I know it's not going to be as bad as you seem to think. Brie, send me pictures of your puppy as soon as possible. I can't wait to finally see what the little darling looks like!" After receiving assurances from both women Lucy finally turned and looked at Dean. "I'm ready. But where do you go on your days off?" Dean smiled and handed her the ticket, "Las Vegas. I live in Las Vegas. Our flight leaves in a few hours." Lucy was nodded before putting her bags into the car. "Is there any way we can eat before we get on the plane? I don't even care if it's at the airport I just feel like I'm going to pass out." Dean smiled, "I know that feeling, I used to get that way when I was in the Indys. The paychecks barely let us make it from one week to the next let alone from the beginning of the month to the other. There were times when I'd get in the ring and not have eaten for a day or two, and once I got out there I was running on adrenaline and nothing else. Once I got paid I'd immediately go to the first fast food joint I could find and I'd get the first thing on the menu and eat in about a minute flat." Lucy grimaced, "I hate feeling like that, and I mean I can't imagine how you did it. I'm pretty sure I'd be flat on my back passed out, if that ever happened. I remember when I was in college, I would eat ramen all the time just because it was cheap and I could buy a lot of it and it didn't cost a lot." They continued chatting all the way to the airport. Once they were inside and through security Lucy immediately began to peer around and look at the different restaurants. Dean grabbed her bag in one hand and her hand in the other, "Come on, I know a great little sub shop over here." After they ordered and ate Lucy quickly began fidgeting as they waited for their flight. "Hey, what's up? Did you not like the sub?" Dean was quickly reassured when she answered, "No, that's not it at all, you're right it's the best sub place in Nebraska, it's just, I'm nervous about this weekend I guess." Dean was confused, "What do you mean? We're going to Las Vegas, and we can do really anything you want. What's there to be nervous about?" Lucy tried to wave off the conversation, but Dean wasn't going to let it go. Finally after about 5 minutes she relented, "FINE! It's just, I don't know where I'm going to sleep. I've never really spent any time alone with any guy who wasn't Jake. I just, I don't know what to expect, I mean Brie and Nikki have told me about your reputation, and I'm just nervous." Dean lowered his head to the table when she mentioned his reputation, there was nothing he could do about that, but he did want to put her mind at ease. "Honey, we're not going to do anything that you don't want to do, as for where you'd sleep, I figured you could sleep in my bed and I could crash on the couch until we leave again. Now, as for Brie and Nikki, I'm sure that most of what they told you is completely over exaggerated. This weekend, let's just take the time to get to know each other again and just have fun." Lucy nodded feeling just a little bit better than she did before.

The next morning Lucy woke up and was momentarily confused as to where she was; then she remembered, she was in Dean's bed. She looked at the clock and was jumped up, it was nearly noon! She couldn't remember the last time she had spent that much time sleeping. Grabbing a shirt off his dresser she headed down to the kitchen to start some coffee and make breakfast. As she tiptoed down the hallway so as to not wake Dean, she saw him sleeping on the couch, one that he was clearly too big for. Chuckling, she entered the kitchen and after starting the coffee she began searching through the cabinets for something to eat.

Dean slowly woke up out of a great dream to the smell of coffee, bacon, eggs, and pancakes. He looked at the clock then groaned. It was only noon. They had gotten in last night about 2:30 am and by the time they wound down and went to bed it was closer to 5:00. What the hell was she doing up so early? Dean walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He watched as Lucy took the pancakes off the griddle and slid them on to a plate. "You make that shirt look a hell of a lot better than I ever did." Lucy spun around wielding the spatula like a knife. "Dean! You scared the hell out of me! When did you wake up?" He smiled, "Honey with you cooking that much food, one of the delicious scents was bound to do the trick if the coffee didn't. Now is there anything I can do to help? Dean immediately began to set the table as she asked and after that he carried over the pancakes and bacon while she carried the eggs.

Dean laid his hands on his stomach unable to believe he ate that much breakfast. "I really don't think I'm ever going to move again. You are a really great cook. It's the best breakfast I've had in a long time." Lucy tried to hide her excitement at his words; she was surprised at just how much it meant to hear him say that. "I learned to cook for my dad; Mom didn't really like to all that much so I learned from our cook. On his birthday I would make him breakfast in bed, and progressively the breakfasts got better and there was less food on the plate." Dean just stared, "you had a cook growing up? I was lucky if I had food on the table. My parents weren't around much, hell my dad bailed when I was 4 or 5 and Mom just fell into the bottle. I had to grow up on the streets pretty much." Lucy just stared at Dean, "I can't imagine my parents not being around. Yes, they were both incredibly busy but I always knew that they were there for me. They came to every school function, all the plays I was in, all my dance recitals, everything." Dean could feel himself being dragged into a past that he would rather forget so he sat forward and immediately turned the conversation to their plans for the day.

Two days later Lucy was packing for another stretch on the road. Over the past few days she and Dean had grown closer, when they did talk, but at the same time she felt like she was being disloyal to Jake. Sure, she hadn't told him she would marry him, and she never even really dated him. It's just that she felt like the marriage was expected, and like everyone was waiting for the announcement. Hell, she was married now and she wasn't even sure that she wanted to be, let alone if she wanted to go from one marriage straight into another one. Sure, Dean was a nice guy once you got to know him but at the same time she didn't think she could make it work. It would be really hard to travel all the time and besides for all she knew he was just acting like a nice guy to get her to stay around before he turned into an asshole. Lucy looked at her bags, she was all ready to go she just needed to get all the work she had done this weekend ready to be faxed to the office and then she could head out. Work was the only thing that could keep her mind off her present situation. "Hey Lucy, are you ready to go? We can drive to the arena tonight and then fly out in the morning." She nodded then said, "I need to make sure these papers get faxed before we can leave. But other than that, yeah I'm ready." Dean nodded grabbed her stuff and headed out to the car. Lucy went to follow when her phone rang from inside her pocket, looking down at the number she groaned, not wanting to answer it. Weighing her options she plopped down on the couch and answered the phone. "Hey Dad what's up?" A booming voice rang out causing her to yank the phone away from her ear, "Why did I have to hear from Jake that you're married and traveling with the man? Lucy, he could be a serial killer! Why didn't you come to me? You know I could have taken care of it!" Lucy rested her forehead in her hand. "Daddy, calm down, I am taking care of the situation myself. You always wanted me to be independent, so that's what I'm doing. I've had him thoroughly investigated, background checks all of it, and he's not a serial killer." He saw right through her words, "Lucy, we both know that you only call me Daddy when you're trying to get me to do something your way. I'll let it be for now, but I want you to call me at minimum of once a week until this is over. Also, your mother and I want you to visit as soon as possible. We don't see you nearly enough." Lucy smiled at his words, she knew that what he meant by "come visit" was come so we can check on you and make sure you're okay. She also knew she'd be expected to bring Dean or her father would find a reason to come visit them while on the road. While she briefly entertained how amusing it would be for those two to butt heads she quickly ruled it out. She knew that backstage at an arena would not be the best place for her father to meet him. She quickly reassured herself that her concern wasn't based in what her family thought of Dean and their overall opinion of him, but rather than she knew her father would be furious that she was hanging out in what he was sure to think of as an unsafe environment for his baby girl. After saying goodbyes to her father Lucy silently estimated that it would take about an hour before her dad had every bit of information that was ever available on Dean Ambrose.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Hey Guys! I would like to say thank you to a few people who have been reviewing this story for me. I can't tell you how much they mean to me. It really does motivate me. I am really trying to get this updated faster, but unfortunately for personal reasons I have been unable to. As always, any and all comments are appreciated! **

Within 10 minutes of arriving at the arena Lucy received a text that simply said call me asap. Rolling her eyes, Lucy dialed the number she knew by heart. "Hey Mom, what's up?" A soft voice crept through the line, "well I spent the last hour convincing your father that it was not necessary to fly to wherever it is you are right now and drag you home locking you in your old bedroom." Lucy chuckled, "he got the reports then?" She could practically hear her mother rolling her eyes, "Lucy, I'm not going to be surprised if he hires a private investigator to follow you. A wrestler sweetheart; and what about your life in Seattle? Does he expect you to move to Las Vegas or travel with him all year? We'd never see you!" Lucy began to grow restless, she didn't understand her mother's concern, it's not like she was planning on staying married to him. "Mom, don't tell Dad this but our arrangement is temporary, I'm only traveling with him for about 5 more months. I have no intention of staying married to him." After saying her goodbyes and promising to call again soon Lucy hung up the phone. "So you're not planning on staying married to me? This is all just temporary?" Lucy looked up and met Dean's eyes, "Yes, Dean. But you knew that. I didn't want to have this arrangement, you decided it for me. I'm only here because I have to be." As Dean looked deep into her eyes he could tell something had changed, gone was the girl who woke up in his home this morning, the person who was looking back at him was someone that Dean didn't even recognize. Shaking his head he made a move to grab her hand, but stopped himself, "No, there's no point in getting attached if it's going to be over in a few months. Come on, I've got to get ready soon and I really don't like the idea of you being back here by yourself."

As he warmed up for his match with Seth and Roman, Dean thought about how much he was surprised at what he overheard Lucy say, if he was honest with himself, yes it bothered him. He didn't want to fail at this. He wanted to prove everyone who ever told him he would fail at it that they were wrong. Dean was so caught up in his own thoughts he didn't even hear the stagehand tell him, Seth, and Roman to take their spots. In fact, it wasn't until Seth smacked his shoulder that he came back to Earth. "Hey man, snap out of it. We've got to go out in a few minutes. If you don't focus you could get someone hurt." Nodding, Dean pulled himself together and turned his thoughts away from his wife.

Lucy was in the back talking to Nikki and Brie about their days off, but no matter how she tried she couldn't shake the look in Dean's eyes when she told him that she still wanted to get a divorce. He looked crushed. "Hey Lucy, what's wrong? You seem to be somewhere else tonight." Lucy looked at Brie and Nikki, "No it's just something with Dean. He seemed surprised that I am still interested in getting a divorce. I mean it's not like we've had any kind of explosive breakthrough or something. I just don't know if there is anything that we have in common and besides there's Jake…" Nikki cut her off, "Jake? Who the hell is Jake?" Lucy lowered her head to her knees and quickly began to explain her history with Jake. "We've known each other all our lives, we went to the same schools, and we went to prom together. Our families have known each other forever, and we went to prom together. Being a few years older than me he went to law school and got his degree while I finished up undergrad. I got my paralegal certificate because I wanted to work in the legal field and I didn't want to go to law school at the time. His family and mine have pretty much planned from the day I was born that we'd be married someday. I went to a conference, got married to Dean, and since then I have been trying to get a divorce." Brie and Nikki were stunned. "Do you love Jake? Do you even want to marry him? I mean have you even talked about it?" Lucy looked at Brie, "I mean, Jake has always been the guy that I'm supposed to be with. I mean my parents and his think it's a great idea." Brie leaned forward, "But Lucy what do you want? Do you actually want to be with this guy?"

Lucy was saved from answering the question by Seth knocking on the door, "Lucy, come on, Dean's in the trainer's office and he needs to talk to you." Lucy was confused, "What happened? Is he okay?" Seth shook his head, "I don't know, Roman is with him now. The trainer wanted me to come get you before so he could give you instructions on what to do for him tonight." Lucy followed along behind Seth, "But, we don't even room together. I don't know anything about him. He'd probably be better off staying with one of you tonight." Seth didn't respond, he just nudged her into the room. Lucy found herself alone with Dean and she was surprised at how beat up he looked. "What happened tonight? You look like you went through a war." Dean cracked a smile, "One of the new guys kicked me in the wrong spots a few times." Lucy was pretty sure there was more to the story that he was telling, his eyebrow was split open, he had an icepack on his head, and he had bruises already forming on his arms. "What did the doctor say? I mean he doesn't really expect me to take care of you does he?" Dean slid off the table and started walking towards the exit, "No princess, neither I nor the Doc expect you to take care of your husband." Lucy cringed at the word, "Is there anything else we could call you? I mean, does everyone have to know we're married?" Dean spun around, "Why? Am I not good enough to be married to you? I mean, what do you care if a doctor recommended that you stay with me tonight, our marriage is only temporary right?" Dean walked out the door, grabbed the pills from the doctor's hand, mumbled his thanks, and slowly limped away.

The doctor entered the room bewildered, "You're going to stay with him tonight right? If you weren't here I'd ask one of the other guys to do it, but since you're his wife and visiting him on the road I thought you might like to take over that responsibility." Lucy stared, "Sir, what is it that he needs tonight? I mean I have no real medical experience so I don't know if I could help him. I mean wouldn't it be better if someone who knew what they were doing stayed with him?" The doctor smiled, "You sound like most of the new wives who come with their husbands for the first time; no honey all you need to do is make sure he takes his pills and then when you wake up in the middle of the night, poke him or something to make sure that he responds." Lucy slowly nodded her head, she was still reluctant to help Dean but was beginning to realize just how it would look if she refused to help him. "Okay, but can I have your number in case he needs something?" Once they had exchanged numbers Lucy walked down the hallway hoping to find Dean in the maze that was the backstage of the arena.

As luck would have it, it wasn't long before she was stopped by Roman and Seth who told her that Dean had already went back to the hotel. She followed them to the car; she was still a little nervous around the men but she had spent a limited amount of time with them so hopefully she was correct in her initial impressions. Seth, she got the impression that he was the most sensitive of the three guys. He would listen and empathize. Roman, he was much more serious and straight to the point. He would listen and give you the swift quick you needed rather than the sympathetic person you wanted. Once they were on the road the two men began to question her about her relationship with Dean. Roman started, "So Lucy how did you and Dean meet? He didn't really give us a lot of the details so we were hoping you could fill in some of the gaps for us." Lucy knew these two men were her husband's closest friends in the company, "What did he tell you? I don't want to bore you by repeating the same details that you've already heard." Seth chuckled, "Don't worry about that, all we know is that you're married." Lucy was slightly taken aback by Dean's refusal to tell these two men the details surrounding their situation. Pushing her feelings aside she told them the basics of the story; "We were in Las Vegas at the same time about 5 months ago, and we were drunk and got married. The next morning I found a note and our marriage license on the dresser and I've been trying to get, first an annulment, now a divorce, ever since. He agreed to sign the papers if I traveled with him for six months." Seth and Roman both raised their eyebrows and shared a glance, that wasn't like Dean at all to be THAT stubborn, especially not with women. Normally he was a love them and leave them type, this was completely out of character, there had to be something that Dean really liked about this girl. Seth, while not deciding to share his opinions with Lucy did note, "Umm, Lucy do you know when Dean moved to Vegas?" Seeing her shake her head Seth turned around, "You should ask him that sometime." For the two men things were starting to make a lot more sense, for Lucy, the rest of the car ride was spent pondering what it could have been that brought Dean to Las Vegas after their disastrous first meeting there.

Once they arrived at the hotel, Lucy headed straight to the desk hoping that she would be able to at least talk to Dean about the situation at the arena before he went to bed. The lady at the desk informed her that Dean and Lucy were going to have to share a room because the hotel was overbooked. After being given a key and pointed towards the elevator Lucy waited as Seth and Roman finished checking in. "Any advice on how to handle Dean tonight, I mean you guys have more experience than I do with this." Roman nodded, "Just make sure that no matter how much he argues that you don't let him go to sleep without taking his medication. Yes, he's going to be loopy and he's probably going to say things he doesn't mean, but he needs to take them so he doesn't have a headache in the morning. If you need any help getting him down, or if you have any problems, we're just two doors down from you guys so come wake us up and we'll give you a hand." Lucy nodded apprehensively, "What's the worst thing he's ever said to you?" Seth and Roman both laughed, "Well one time he told Roman to fuck himself and jump off the ledge of the hotel window. And he told me that he loved me but if I didn't stop humming he was going to cut my tongue out." Lucy got even more nervous, "But he's never hit you right, I mean he was pretty mad when he left the arena and…" Roman held up his hand, "If he hurts you in any way, tell one of us and we will deal with it, he maybe our friend but we don't tolerate hitting women at all. And, Lucy, don't worry I'm sure tonight won't go as badly as you expect." With that Roman knocked on the door and Lucy began to feel a knot form in the pit of her stomach, this was not how she imagined how the first night with her husband, any husband, would go. Of course, she amended mentally; this would be the first night that she could actually remember.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hey guys sorry it took me so long but I struggled hard with this chapter. I know some of you were looking forward to seeing Dean on meds but unfortunately that didn't happen because I just couldn't get the character right. I'm already working on the next one as always read and review, they help motivate me. A lot! **

She couldn't do it. Lucy could not being herself to knock on that door. She didn't know what to expect. Would he be angry, would he tell her to leave? I mean it's not her fault that he was upset, she thought it was perfectly clear that she didn't want to be here, he was the only one who seemed surprised by it. Yes, she was meeting people and they were all really nice but at the same time Dean just expected her to walk away from her own life. Lucy didn't know what to think anymore, it was clear that Dean was hurt by her earlier comments; but why was he holding on to what she thought of as a failing marriage. Was it just to spite her? Was he angry that her first reaction was a divorce? And why did Seth ask if Dean had explained why he moved to Las Vegas? What did that have to do with anything? Deciding that standing out here was only going to get her more strange looks she braced herself and knocked on the door completely unsure what to expect.

Dean lay on the bed with a massive headache. On top of that he was upset by what he heard Lucy tell her mom on the phone. Did he really want to stay in this relationship if there was no future and he was just prolonging the inevitable? Besides, they never spent any real time together; every time they were at the arena she was either working or she was with Brie and Nikki. Unsure what to do, Dean grew even more restless. Hearing the knock at the door he rolled off the bed and opened the door. He leaned against it, "what do you want? Here to kick me while I'm down, maybe ask me to help pick out colors for your next wedding?" Lucy's face grew hot, "Dean, please, you don't understand what you heard; I mean you understand because you're a rational, sentient, competent human being, but you don't understand why I said what I said." Dean raised an eyebrow, "Did you mean it when you said you were going to be getting the divorce as soon as you could?" Lucy opened her mouth to speak and Dean cut her off, "Yes or no, did you mean it when you said you'd be getting a divorce as soon as you could?" Lucy looked down and then back at Dean, "Yes." Dean nodded his head and then grabbed her chin forcing her to look into his eyes, "You know what, I'm not in the mood for this tonight, and go find somewhere else to sleep." With that he closed the door in her face. Lucy didn't know what to do. She was upset with herself for letting Dean overhear the conversation with her mom but more than that, she was surprised at how much seeing him hurting bothered her. Sliding down the wall she rested her chin on her knees, what the hell was she supposed to do now? She had nowhere to sleep, she couldn't remember which room was Nikki and Brie were in, her clothes were all locked in Dean's room, and worse of all she had hurt him. Badly. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes and tried to blink them back. "Umm, I couldn't help but overhear that you and Dean were arguing." Lucy looked up and saw that the guy known only as Dolph Ziggler was standing over her, "Yeah, he's not too happy with me right now." She watched as Dolph slid down the wall to sit next to her, "A pretty lady like you shouldn't be sitting out here crying, you should be enjoying your evening. Come on, what do you say we go downstairs and get a drink? Maybe we can figure out something that can help for tonight. I mean you can't sleep on the floor outside his door." Dolph tipped her chin up and wiped away her tears, _Maybe the little ring rat will be with me if she can't have Dean_, he thought.

Two drinks later Lucy was starting to loosen up. Dolph seemed like a really cool guy, chill, just trying to help her, it was a refreshing change. It didn't seem like he wanted anything from her. He was really supportive listening to everything that was going on with Dean, she kept it void of most of the early details of their relationship, if you could call it that she chuckled quietly to herself. Dolph looked up, "What's so funny?" Lucy blushed after getting caught thinking about Dean, "Nothing, I was just thinking about how Dean and I met." When she looked up it was see Dolph looking at her with a bemused expression on his face. "Honey, it's clear that he doesn't want to see you tonight. He doesn't want you no matter how much you want him. So why don't you come up to my room for a nightcap. And maybe, we can uh…" He drifted off when he saw Lucy's eyes widen. "Listen pal, I don't know who you think I am but I don't sleep with guys on the first night I meet them. I'm a lady…" Dolph cut her off with a raised hand, "Look I know you girls don't like to be called ring rats but honey that's what you are! Look I get that you're one of the few who don't sleep with everyone but hey, I'm just one more guy, who cares, it's not like it matters. Just come on, let's go upstairs and see if we can change your mind." Lucy couldn't believe it! She thought he was a nice guy, but he turned out to be just a giant creep! Pulling her arm out of his hand she tried to leave when he grabbed her again. Not wanting to cause a scene she waited until they were outside before ripping her arm from his grasp and slapping him, "Keep your damn hands off of me you asshole!" She was no longer worried about a scene and apparently Dolph wasn't either. He grabbed her again, pinned both hands to her sides, and slammed his mouth onto hers. Lucy was terrified, no guy had ever done this to her, especially not one who was so much bigger than her. She stomped on his foot expecting that to work; she achieved little besides making her heel hurt. Then all at once he was gone!

Dean needed a drink; all he kept seeing when he closed his eyes was her face when he slammed the door. It was a face that was completely devastated. He didn't know what she wanted him to do, or how she wanted him to react. He didn't want a divorce, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. His friends kept peppering him with questions demanding explanations as to why he didn't want to give her the divorce but he couldn't give any. Dean knew she didn't want to be married, at least not to him, but she never gave him a chance! He patiently waited for the elevator to open up he heard a yell coming from down the hallway. Once it did he headed right for the hallway and what he saw made him see red! Dolph had just pinned Lucy's arms to her side and then crushed her lips to his. Dean reached the pair in record time. He pulled Dolph off Lucy punched him in the stomach, and slammed him against the wall. "Listen to me you bastard, if you ever touch her again I will kill you." Dolph gasped for air unable to answer because of how tightly Dean was squeezing his throat. He did however manage to nod; Dean let him fall to the floor and as he drug in air he tried to help clear up the situation. "Listen man, I didn't know the little ring rat meant that much to you-." He was cut off by Dean dragging him to his feet and pinning him back up against the wall. "You mother fucker! If you ever call her that again I will feed you your teeth! Apologize now!" Dolph looked at Lucy, "Hey, sorry, I didn't realize that you were only available to sleep with him." He looked back at Dean, "Happy?" Dean punched him in the stomach, "Hell no I'm not happy, your apology to my wife needs to be a hell of a lot better!" Dolph's eyes widened, "Dude, oh my God, I'm so sorry I had no idea! I was looking for a quick lay! I'm so sorry it'll never happen again. Mrs. Ambrose, seriously I had no idea, if I did it never would have happened." Dean looked at Lucy and when she nodded he let Dolph go and turned his full attention to her. "Hey, are you okay?" Dean was shocked when her entire expression changed. Her eyes began to water and her shoulders began to shake; Dean wrapped an arm around her and quickly led her to the elevator before she completely broke down. He knew she wouldn't want to cry in public where anyone could see her. She made it to the room, barely.

Dean didn't know what to do, Lucy stood there with her arms wrapped around her waist and she just shook. He watched as she tried to compose herself but nothing seemed to be working. She tried to breathe both through her nose and her mouth but that didn't help, she tried to focus on something, anything else, but that didn't seem to help either. Finally she couldn't hold it back, and she just started sobbing. Everything that had happened since she had made the arrangements with Dean, all the arguments, what was she going to do about Jake, her parents, and then tonight with Dolph, she had never felt so helpless in her life. What was she going to do? She didn't want anyone to be hurt by her but it all seemed inevitable at this point. "I-I can't hu-hurt you anymore. I-I-I hurt my parents. I hurt Jake. I hurt everyone. I feel like a failure. I-I'm-m s-s-s-s-o-o–o-o sorry."

Dean had never felt more helpless in his life that he did when he saw Lucy slide to the floor and continue to sob. What hell was he supposed to do? Unable to sit there any longer he did the only thing he could think of; he picked her up off the floor and tried to get her to stop.

After 10 minutes Lucy's tears began to subside. She was surprised Dean handled them as well as he did, usually guys were the worst when it came to that. But instead of telling her that she was being dumb, he just lay against the headboard letting her cry into his chest and rubbed her back. Looking up at him, Lucy whispered, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you tonight." Dean shrugged his shoulders, "Hey, it's not your fault. I saw what he did. He never should have touched you, let alone kiss you. You didn't hurt me. Hell, to be honest, he's kind of a prick so punching him felt good." Lucy rested her chin on his chest, "No, I meant with what I said before that. It's just I'm so confused right now; there's you, my family, Jake. I just don't know what to do and I don't want to hurt any of you. You all matter to me. It's just; I don't know what to do. She made a move to slide over to the other side of the bed but Dean wrapped his arms around her so she couldn't. "Lucy, I'm not going to lie. I don't want to get a divorce. If we do get one I'll be crushed, but I want you to know that if you meet someone and he's everything you've ever wanted, I'll be devastated but as long as you're happy, that's ultimately what matters. Not what everyone else thinks, it's what you think." Lucy nodded her head in understanding, "Thanks. I wish more people felt that way." She lay their quietly for a few more minutes before she heard his stomach rumble. "Umm Dean, I think we should grab something to eat. I'm pretty sure your stomach is trying to tell me something." Dean chuckled, "What do you want to eat pretty lady?" Shaking her head she responded, "I don't care, but I do think we need to talk. I want to get some stuff figured out." Dean nodded in understanding but was concerned that their temporary truce would be destroyed.

Less than thirty minutes later they were both enjoying a cheeseburger and fries that had been ordered from room service. Once they were done Lucy leaned back in her chair, "So I um, I guess the thing that's been bothering me the most is, why do you want to stay married to me?" Dean rubbed his palms on his jeans before answering, "I guess it's because I don't want to call it quits without knowing that we both put 110% into it. I mean, if we were married for 3 years and one of us decided they couldn't do it anymore, that would be one thing, but to quit before we've even tried, that's not something I'm okay with." Lucy nodded, "So that's why you're putting us through this then? So you can feel better at the end because we both tried?" Dean nodded slowly, "Yep, I mean I like to succeed at things, I don't like to quit. Why did you tell your mom that this was all going to be over in just about 4 more months? I guess the reason that upset me so much is because we're supposed to be trying to make this work, but to you this just seems like an annoyance." Lucy looked down, "Part of that is true I guess, I do look at this as being annoying, but then try to understand, I go from hotel to arena to the airport or the car, I don't really get to see things during this time that we're on the road, and we don't really do anything together. So for me I spend my time with the girls or I sit in your locker room and do nothing because I never know when we're going to be going on to the next city and I don't want to make you late for something. But you also have never met my parents, If I were to ever say that I didn't know what to do or where to go they'd be here in an instant to fix the situation. To help me figure out what is best for me and my future. So if I didn't say that, they'd have been here within literally 3 hours. I love my parents I do, but I want to make my own decisions and therefore make my own mistakes." Dean nodded, "You know, if you want to see more of the cities were in, we can go out if you want. I just didn't know that you wanted to. Depending on what happens and how long we're going to be there we can definitely take time to see stuff. Umm, actually Lucy, if you want I can get you a copy of my schedule so you can plan stuff."

Nodding her head, she smiled brightly; _this is going well _she thought; now she just hoped that this is going to continue when she turned the topic to Jake. "So, there's something else we need to talk about while we're being honest with each other, Jake." At the face she saw him make she raised a palm, "Look I know that you're not crazy about him, but he's an important part of my life. He's a dear friend, mentor, and most likely, he's going to be the one I marry after we go our separate ways. I'm not expecting that you and he will ever become best friends but I am asking that you be respectful of him. I've spoken to him about this and he does his best to be respectful of you whenever we talk."

Dean rubbed his face over his mouth and in that moment he made a conscience decision to ignore he comment about Jake being the next guy she married, "He and I will never be friends. This is the only promise I am going to make to you concerning him, as long as he isn't as asshole when he's around me then I will do my best to give him the same consideration. However, if he is a jerk, the gloves come off and I'm not pulling any punches."

An uneasy silence fell over the table; each person was lost in their own thoughts. Lucy wondering how to bring up the topic of Dean's medication and Dean thinking that he'd cut Jake's hands off before he ever touched Lucy. In the end it was a knock on the door that ruined the silence, one that Dean went to answer as Lucy put the plates back on the cart. "Hey Rome, what's up?" Roman entered the room and nodded in acknowledgement to Lucy. "I was just wondering if you wanted to explain how these got into my bag?" Roman tossed Dean the bottle of pills, which he promptly tossed in the trash. "Dean seriously man, we've got a photo shoot in the morning and you can't have a splitting headache man. You'll make the photographer cry again and we all know that Vince will most likely suspend you for it." Dean shook his head, "I'll be fine man, I know what I'm doing, and besides I already took the ones that Doc gave me to avoid this present situation."

Roman shook his head in disbelief, he knew his friend was lying but the only way he could get him to fess up was if he got Doc out of bed and down here, and then there's still no guarantee that Dean would take them. Shaking his head he turned and left knowing that there was nothing he could say or do to make Dean take the medication.  
When Roman left, Lucy saw her chance, but before she even got a word out Dean held up a hand and said, "Don't start Lucy, I'm not taking them. Now Roman's right, we've got a photo shoot in the morning and it's almost 2 am, I need to get some sleep." Walking over to one of the beds, Dean climbed in and turned off the lights. As Lucy got ready for bed she plotted on how to get Dean to take the medication. She knew that he needed it regardless of what he said.


	6. Chapter 6

**********A/N So so so so sorry it took me so long but I really hope it was worth the wait, I actually cried a little while writing chapter. I am already working on Chapter 8. To all of you who have been with me since the beginning I love you all. To those who are ready this or just recently found this story I love you too. I am really excited for you to read it and if you want to tell me where you see it going, or just want to go aww (I expect more than one of you will after this chapter) I love hearing it.************

By the time Roman and Seth came over to join them for breakfast Lucy was on the verge of tears. Dean had thrown the alarm clock across the room and once it bounced off the wall it came back and hit her in the head. He mumbled a halfhearted apology as he sat up in bed. Then he yelled at her when she asked if he wanted breakfast and then again when she asked what he wanted. Once Lucy heard Dean turn on the water for the shower she noticed the pills in Roman's hand, "Roman? Do you think he's going to take those today?" Roman and Seth exchanged glances before Seth answered, "Ha! Dean isn't the kind to take medication unless you literally force it down his throat, which by the look on your face is something that Roman and I may do if he doesn't quit being a prick." Lucy smiled, "Actually I was wondering if he ever really paid much attention to what he was eating, I mean, would he notice if we sprinkled it on his food?" Roman and Seth exchanged glances and then shrugged their shoulders, they didn't think so but they didn't know for sure. Lucy grabbed the bottle of pills out of Roman's hand, popped off the top and immediately began crushing them with the spoons that had been brought in when breakfast had been dropped off. Seth started to object, until he heard Dean swear as he got out of the shower, then he and Roman immediately grabbed some spoons to help.

Once they got everyone's breakfast on a plate and they were all seated around the room Lucy was extremely nervous. She had managed to slip a liberal amount of the crushed medicine into Dean's coffee; she just hoped he drank it all before he realized what she did. "Lucy!" She immediately became aware that all the guys were staring at her. "Sorry, I was lost for a second, what did you say?" Dean shook his head and muttered under his breath something that Lucy couldn't quite hear but Seth did because he smacked the back of Dean's head before saying, "Don't talk about her that way, she didn't have to stay here last night but she did, I'm sure you weren't the easiest to get along with. You never are when your head has been smashed in the night before. I'm surprised she didn't need a drink to get through the night!" Dean's mouth twisted into a sardonic smile when he looked at her, "You did though, didn't you Lucy? That's how you ended up against a wall with that prick Ziggler on top of you isn't it?" Roman and Seth immediately looked at her and she quickly tried to redirect the conversation, "It's not a big deal, I mean..." she trailed off when she realized that they weren't listening to her, instead they were looking at Dean who quickly recounted the story to the others. They both nodded when Dean mentioned that he didn't want her to go anywhere without one of them in the meantime. Lucy, was staring wide eyed, the more Dean talked, the more he was seemingly changing in front of their eyes. His gestures were getting wider, his voice louder, and his eyes were starting to droop like they did right before he fell asleep. Lucy kept trying to catch Roman's eye, and when she did she nodded at Dean and tried to convey her concern without letting Dean know.

Dean felt weird, it was almost like he was growing increasingly drunk, but he knew he hadn't had anything to drink that morning. He looked around the room and noticed that everyone was staring at him. "What are you guys looking at? Tell her! Tell her I'm right!" After exchanging glances Lucy asked, "Dean what are you talking about? What are you right about?" Looking from Seth to Roman she knew they knew what Dean was talking about, but it didn't look like they were going to share it with her. "Dean, let it go, this is something that you need to talk about with Lucy when Seth and I aren't here." That didn't seem to appease him so he very loudly began calling her over and patting the bed where he wanted her to sit. After a minute, when it became very clear that he wasn't going to stop until she moved Lucy joined Dean on the couch. The minute she sat down he laid his head down in her lap. Lucy completely taken aback by his actions began to play with his hair for a little bit while she spoke to Roman and Seth about the photo shoot the guys had in an hour. "All that's really going to happen is that we're going to stand around and look tough while we get our pictures taken." Dean chimed in from Lucy's lap, "I'm the toughest, and the handsomest. Isn't that right Lucy? That's why you married me and not them." She shushed Dean and tried to continue the conversation, Dean however, was not about to let that happen, "Tell them Lucy! TELL THEM!" Finally Lucy covered Dean's mouth with her hand and said, "Okay, I'll tell them. Dean says that I married him because he was the toughest and the handsomest out of the three of you. However, truth be told, beyond you buying me my 7th drink and getting into the cab, I really don't remember much after that." That caused Seth and Roman to start laughing, "Wow man! She can't even remember sleeping with you. You must have been a real stud that night!" Dean scowled at the guys before looking at Lucy, "You don't remember anything? We can change that." She immediately began laughing at the failed attempt to give her a sexy pout, but the other two members of the room got up to leave, "Dean, be downstairs in 45 minutes. Lucy, it's been a pleasure, we'll see you when we get back. Have fun you crazy kids."

Dean waved over the back of the couch at Roman and Seth as he stared into Lucy's eyes. "You're too far away. Come lay down next to me. Please?" Lucy couldn't believe how adorable he looked when he pouted. "Dean, you need to be downstairs in a few minutes, and besides I have to be ready for when Brie and Nikki take me out shopping later." Dean's brow furrowed when Lucy said she was going out with Nikki and Brie, "But, you're going to go to the photo shoot with me. We are going to spend today together." Lucy smiled down at him; it was like looking into the eyes of a 5 year old who was trying to get his way. "Dean, I didn't know that you wanted me to go to the photo shoot with you, so I made plans with my friends, I can't just blow them off." Dean began to kick his feet on the couch, "No, you have to come with me or I'm not going! I won't. I'll stay right here, then I'll get in trouble, then it will be all your fault then I'll be suspended. Then I will get fired because I'll punch Vince and then I'll lose my house and I'll have to go on the Indy circuit and I'll die." After he finished with a "humph" and crossed his arms over his chest.

Lucy tried to ignore Dean's temper tantrum but that was easier said than done. Once he finished kicking his feet and begging her to go with she brushed away the hair that had fallen into his eyes and stared into his eyes. "Dean, let's make a deal, if Brie and Nikki are okay with me not going with them, then I will go with you. If they say that they need me to go with them, then I will. Deal?" Once he nodded, Lucy grabbed her phone to text them so they could help her out of the situation they were in. It was like Dean knew what she was going to do however, because he grabbed her phone and threw it over the back of the couch. "LLLUUUCCCYYY!" he whined, "You can't tell them otherwise we won't know if they would mind, we'd just know what you want." He kissed her wrist before letting it go, "I really hope you want to stay with me."

Lucy found herself almost relenting and agreeing to go with him, before she could say anything however, they were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. "Dean? Have you seen Lucy today? She's supposed to go shopping with us, and she didn't tell us her room number and isn't answering her door." She had never seen him move so fast; Dean leapt over the back of the couch and flew to the door before leaning against the door jamb bracing his hand on the top of the frame. "Hey ladies, my beautiful wife was wondering if you'd mind if she stayed with me today? I have a photo shoot and I'd like to show her just kind of what I do, and give her a little bit better idea of what my job is like."

Nikki and Brie were caught off guard by Dean's words; they didn't think Lucy would want to spend any time with him, or after last night that he would want to spend time with her. They watched as Lucy squeezed in front of him, and immediately rested her hands on top of his when he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hey ummm, Dean wanted me to go with him, Seth and Roman to the photo shoot and I said I'd go if you guys didn't mind…" before she could finish her sentence Brie and Nikki had both exchanged little smirks quickly left after telling Lucy to have fun and not worry about it, that they would go shopping later. Dean shut the door and spun Lucy around in his arms, "See, I knew they could be reasonable. Now, go shower and get dressed and we'll head to the shoot."

An hour later Lucy found herself standing behind a whole host of cameramen; all of whom were dedicated to getting the guys to take the right shots, both individually and together. They did the traditional "Shield Pose" with their fists together, they had each of the guys stand and sit in various poses in front of different backdrops. It was really interesting to watch the entire process come together, but it was also incredibly entertaining for her to watch Dean. It seemed that he was dedicated to making her laugh. He would make the most ridiculous faces at her between pictures, and at one point he came over and tickled her because he thought she looked "too serious" causing her to laugh even more.

But as interested as she was in what was occurring in front of her even with as much fun as she was having, she couldn't help but feel like she shouldn't be because it was incredibly disloyal to Jake. It's not like they were dating but he made his intentions clear, he was going to marry her as soon as he could. She was quickly pulled back to the shoot when she heard yelling. "NO! I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANYMORE PICTURES! I'M DONE!" Lucy saw Dean being pushed back into place by Roman and Seth but it looked as if he was sticking to his word. Dean was done with the photo shoot. "Excuse me, how much do you have left to shoot?" Lucy asked one of the assistants beside her hoping she would say they could be done and there would be none or very little repercussions for Dean refusing to complete this part of his job. Her heart sunk a little bit when she was told they had between 45 minutes and an hour left. Lucy quickly walked over to Roman to find out what she could do to help. "Roman, what's going on? Why is he acting like this?" Roman quickly explained that it was Dean essentially off his meds and that if they didn't quickly redirect his attention he was going to get them all in trouble because they'd be unable to finish the shoot. Lucy nodded and quickly stepped in the vacant spot that Roman had occupied. "Dean, come on, you're almost done. Surely you can't finish this so we can leave and you don't get in trouble." He didn't appear to hear a word she said, instead he get a new idea in his head. "Lucy! We never got our pictures taken when we got engaged! I can't believe I didn't remember that! We'll take care of that today as soon as I'm done!"  
Horrified didn't even seem to cover the way that she felt. Everyone seemed to think this was a wonderful idea. No one seemed to listen to her when she said there was no need for engagement pictures because they weren't engaged. It was only once she saw that Dean calming down that she quit protesting; in fact it seemed that the most agitated that she got the most upset he got. She forced herself to calm down knowing she wasn't going to go through with those dumb pictures.

An hour later she was once again arguing against having to go through with the pictures, this time on the grounds that she didn't even have a ring for engagement pictures. That was when Dean surprised her, he turned to Seth who tossed him a box and then he hit one knee. "Lucy, it's been so much fun getting to know you all these weeks. And I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you. I love everything I know about you, and I can't wait to fall in love with the rest of you." Lucy was stared in stunned silence at him, she didn't think there was any way she could be even more surprised, but then he opened the box. She was sure her jaw had hit the floor. She loved opals and the ring was exactly she would have picked this for herself. Set on a white gold band surrounded in tiny diamonds was the most beautiful ring Lucy had ever seen.

"Hey, if you could say something, I'd like to get up off this floor sometime today", Dean grew increasingly nervous as she just stared, frozen, at the box in his hand. When she slowly regained speech she quietly whispered, "You can get up whenever you want." Once he did she hugged him, and asked, "How did you know that opals are my favorite?" He leaned forward and whispered, "I called your parents." He didn't know what came over her, immediately after he said that Lucy grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him. Dean pulled her body even closer to his and settled his hands on her hips, the box, with the ring inside, dangling from his fingertips. He could have gone on kissing her forever, but unfortunately the camerawoman was eager to start taking their picture so she could finish up for the day.

Throughout the shoot, and during the car ride back to the hotel she peppered him with questions about how and when he talked to her mom, and when he had time to go ring shopping. Finally in an effort to get her to stop asking questions Seth spilled the beans. "Lucy, I'll tell you, just please, stop talking for a minute." She blushed, she had been talking since they got in the car, but it's not every day a girl got such an amazing present. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm all ears." Seth told how Roman stole her phone, and how Dean called her mom so he could find out what she liked. "But, I knew it wasn't going to be diamonds", chimed Dean from the back seat. Shushing him, Lucy urged Seth to continue. "So, when you were in the shower or deeply engrossed in work, Dean would call your mom and they'd talk, I think even one time he spoke to your dad. But anyways, so he's dragging us all over to jewelry stores all over the country when finally he finds it. I'll let him tell you the rest." Lucy looked at Dean, "I can't believe you went to all that trouble." In return Dean kissed the tip of her nose, "It was completely worth it."


End file.
